Star Fox: Operations
by Zettadude
Summary: Attilius Bowman, a talented soldier for the Cornerian Special Operations sect, takes command of one of the ten Operative Companies; special units that specify in stealth tactics, search-and-destroy, and secret missions. Now, the lupine must fight his way through the hordes of Andross' army on the ground instead of in the air. Taken during Star Fox 64.
1. Chapter 1: Burning City

_**Author's Note:**_** Hello everyone! Well... this is my first fanfiction! I've always loved the Star Fox series, and I hope to get greater enjoyment out of it by putting my view of what the series is. The games and characters hold a special place in me, so without further ado; here is Star Fox: Operations!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

In the minds of soldiers, honor is held to the highest regard. The Cornerian Flight Academy may have brought forth some promising heroes, but the men and women on the front lines make up the backbone of Corneria's army. The lupine knew this; he knew better than all of his brothers and sisters in arms. During the first invasion of Corneria, Andross' armies all but destroyed the capital city before the Star Fox team arrived. He was down in the city streets, gunning any monkey who neared the entrance of Fort Donwald and turning them into hunks of smoking carcasses.

Attilius Bowman was but a pup fresh out of training when the bombs fell upon the military base, his age only at twenty years. Fort Donwald had always been the place the government would ship the army cadets to, acting as a first piece of action for the newly adorned soldiers who just graduated from the Cornerian Operations Academy. Andross thought it would be a good idea to shave off some morale for the Cornerian forces during the Lylat Wars and made that a minor objective for his troops; kill the cadets and secure Fort Donwald.

Of course, high-ranking military officials had seen the attack and buffed the defenses of the Fort, but Attilius knew that Andross would break through. He'd seen his brothers and sisters fall in his arms and bled out their remaining life. The lupine heard names of family members whispered in his ears in the midst of battle as the doors blew open and saw the bunker compromised.

"James… James, you're gonna be all right… Come on, get up."

The lupine tried reassuring his dying friend, cooling his wounds with a medical pack before finally seeing the blood trickle through the medkit.

_Damn it… split rounds. James…_

It was then Attilius knew the monkeys weren't taking prisoners. Andross wanted to see every man and woman from the Operations Academy to perish within the protective bunker. However, these were not soldiers trained like those bozos in the Cornerian Army. These men and women were trained to be resourceful and powerful. Luckily, one among the company of cadets possessed the ability to lead his troops to victory in this dark day.

"Attie… I'm done," the dying fox said. Blaster rounds collided with the metal walls of the bunker as his fellow cadets were staving off Andross' forces with simple blasters. One by one, his brothers in arms fell. "There is… nothing you can do. If you make it… out of here, y-you know where to find my mother… tell her I died for… my planet…"

With that, the white fox died in Attilius' arms. His wounds finally caught up to him and he viewed his friend's life slipping away. While the blaster fire of Andross' troops melted spots on the walls and flesh of the Cornerians, Attilius laid his friend down and closed his eyes.

_Rest in peace. _He thought.

The lupine rose, blaster in hand, and began downing some of Andross' toughest beasts. The cadets were outnumbered five-to-one, but still managed to push the monkeys back and get the auxiliary blast doors closed. It was thanks to the lupine's prowess and leadership the cadets managed to seal themselves in the protective bunker.

"Get a radio signal going… and get a body count," Attilius commanded. Knowing the situation, a panther by the name of Jules Ingram simply nodded and went to the radio. Two other cadets began hoisting their dead enemies upon the wall while carrying their dead comrades further into the bunker, lining them up against each other with their cold, limp hands over their chests. The rumbles of war were greeting the walls of the bunker as if they were good friends. The cadets looked up and frowned, each muttering something.

"What are we going to do?"

"No commanding officers in range… The Fort is compromised."

"My brother… has anyone seen my brother?!"

Attilius frowned as he heard banging from the auxiliary doors. He followed the hallway into the main bunker, waiting until some more cadets went through carrying their dead friends. As soon as he saw the hallways clear of allied bodies, alive or dead, he closed the blast doors, leaving the company isolated from the rest of the base. The radio Jules fixed was now operational, but no signal was to be found. A female cheetah by the name of Jennifer Walls banged her fist against the metal counter.

"Damn it! No signal! We're so dead…" she exclaimed. A paw went to her shoulder as Attilius began speaking. As soon as his charismatic words flew from his muzzle, everyone became calm.

"Get a hold of yourselves, my friends… We are safe, that is all that matters now. Andross' troops will be blasting through these doors any time. We need to be prepared… we need to devise a plan to get us topside." The lupine's leadership was coming into play and the rest of the company listened without question.

"Our greatest ally, as of right now, is morale," he began to explain. "Keep your hopes up, your blasters primed, and your sights clear. We're blasting our way through this bunker and we will warn the Cornerian forces!"

He heard cheers among his comrades. Attilius smiled as he took on his new role as a commanding officer of a platoon. "There is an armory in this bunker. Get what you need and come back to the center. I have a plan."

* * *

The cadets took no time getting their weapons. Sometimes, the biggest firepower comes in the smallest of sizes. Attilius smirked and chuckled to himself when he saw his toad friend Jason Tao emerge from the armory with the biggest H. Launcher he's laid his hazel eyes on.

"Something funny, Attilius?" the toad asked with a dismal frown. Attilius met his gaze and straightened his face. He cleared his throat.

"Nothing at all, Jason. Glad to see you're packing all the heat," he said with a wink.

Jason managed to pull a soft smile as he continued to his position. With hands behind his back, Attilius looked at the busy men and women carry out their designated tasks.

_Poor bastard… losing both of his brothers at the same time. I'd be sour, too._

Two females, the aforementioned Jennifer Wells and a red vixen named Carla Jordani, planted gas mines in front of the blast doors. Each cadet donned body armor on top of their ceremonial uniforms and exchanged their dress shoes for more comfortable combat boots. As soon as the gas mines were set, Attilius gave the order to strap on their gas masks, to which each cadet needed to have for the plan to go through.

"Gas masks on, team! Internal lights on! Viper and Sigma, you know your places. Alpha and Greek, you know ours." During his reminder of the plan, the lupine himself placed his gas mask over his head and secured it, turning on the night vision that came equipped with the mask.

He knew the auxiliary and main blast doors wouldn't give in to an explosion, hence the term 'blast doors,' but there was a way to override the locks with a simple laser and the right hacking skills. Knowing Andross, the troops already got passed the first door, now it was on to this one.

Attilius noticed the inner lock terminal for the blast door go out, leaving an empty hologram with no commands to open. This was their cue. "All right, the time is now! Let's rain fire upon Andross and get our asses up topside, let's move!"

Shouts of agreement and various "yes sirs" were barked as the four fireteams got into position. Attilius ducked behind the center counter where the power was routed. "Ingram, cut the lights."

Without further hesitation, the panther killed the lights in the room almost as soon as the blast doors were opened. The hallway lights were also cut, leaving the bunker completely black.

"Clear!" One of the monkey soldiers stepped in with a flashlight strapped to his blaster. He carefully inched his way into the room and saw nothing but pitch blackness. He felt a bulge beneath his foot and heard a beeping noise, followed by a distinct hiss beneath his feet.

"Gas! We're being ga—"

The Androssian merely collapsed to the ground choking. His comrades began doing the same as their lives were slowly being taken from them. Attilius gave the okay to begin advancing into the Fort, killing any of Andross' troops still struggling to get up. Jason greatly enjoyed the chance to end the lives of the Androssians by putting blaster rounds through their skulls.

After simply walking through the gas and through the hallway, Attilius knelt down to the entrance of the fort and took cover behind some walls. He noticed the halls of Fort Donwald were basically empty, giving the impression of the victory Andross had assumed. The four teams split into the Fort, each using a schematics print of the place to try and get to their locations.

Attilius' team was Alpha. He tasked his own team to go with Jason's team, named Greek, and locate the main entrance of the Fort. The mission was part recon-based and part search-and-destroy, the anomaly being destroyed was the commanding officer of this platoon taking over the fort.

Jennifer Walls held Sigma team, which was tasked to cut the power of the base. Viper team was led by Carla Jordani, as she was tasked with finding survivors of the Fort, be it staff members, soldiers, commanders, fellow cadets, or enemy POWs. Scouring the halls had been a difficult process, as there were more troops under Andross' banner than Attilius had expected.

The lupine clicked his comm link on his shoulder, linking him to all teams. "Steady, guys… These halls are packed. Sigma, what's the deal on the lights?"

A familiar feminine voice replied through the comm link. "We're almost to the generator. Finding little res—"

She had stopped speaking when blaster fire began ringing though the comm links. Attilius widened his eyes, but thought it best not to say anything, as it might have caused any stragglers around the area to hear his cry.

"Contact! Enemy forces were tailing!" Luckily, Sigma team had been near a corner, so their advantage was already heightened by the added cover. A grenade from Sigma team catapulted into a company of Andross' troops.

"Mark three tangos down, more on the way," exclaimed Jennifer. Their end had been holding quite nicely, given the fact that they were outnumbered.

The lupine's team continued to inch their way toward any indication of a commanding officer or a sit rep on the remaining forces left on the base. Their pathway toward the commander's office had been surprisingly clear. "Sigma, the generator room should be up the hall to your first right. Go, now!"

Without hesitation, the cheetah signaled her team to go forward. During this minor conflict, they had lost one member of their team. A young chameleon by the name of Thomas Hadring had lost his life thanks to a blaster burn through his eye. Jennifer knelt on his body and took his remaining ammo, placing her hand on his heart. "Rest in peace, brother…"

Sigma team now numbered five. Jennifer led her group to the generator room, examining the schematics of the generators themselves. "Come in, Alpha."

"Alpha here," replied Attilius through the comm link. He commanded his team to stay low while Greek watched their six.

"Generators are dual hexcore fusion reactors with double beam splitters on the battery. Cutting this may be impossible," came a worried voice of a female cheetah.

_God damn it._

"Prime the reactors and set off a reaction. We're cutting it loud," commanded Attilius. He had a few backup plans in case the reactors were stubborn.

"Sir," she replied.

"While you're at it, Jenn… get the hell out of there. Form up with Viper at the east end of the Fort."

A few minutes later, an explosion was heard from all inhabitants of the base. A rumble was felt by every squadron of armed beasts in the base, followed by the pitch darkness the lupine had planned. Periodical red blares had been flashing throughout the halls, followed by shouts of soldiers on the opposite ends.

"Sigma, this is Alpha, hell has finally arrived."

"Copy that, assisting mother bird in finding her chicks, over."

"Viper here," came a familiar vixen's voice. "The brig is secured with friendlies. The bugs in the basement have been fumigated, bringing the family home, over."

"How many family members are you bringing home?" Asked Jason.

"We have mom, dad, and my four brothers, over," replied the vixen.

"Six members… Good job, Viper," complimented Attilius. "Alpha out."

_What I wouldn't give for a cig right now, _thought the lupine.

The men were all guards of the fort, wearing ragged white t-shirts and urban camouflaged pants; the uniform of the Fort Donwald guardsmen. The brig was pitch black, and the soldiers were just getting their eyes situated in the darkness. "You here to rescue us?"

"Of course. Andross' men have taken over the fort. Papa Bear wants us up front and assisting him," replied the vixen, using Attilius' codename for the mission.

"Viper, this is Sigma. Need help with the escort?"

"Fancy hearing from you, Sigma. We'll meet you at the brig's entrance. Our teams will lend Papa Bear a hand with cleaning the house, over. "

"Copy that, Viper. Making our way to you."

Attilius was pleased hearing his comrades carrying out the plan so well. Of course, his happiness for his plan was short lived as he heard an explosion behind him. Half of Greek team was killed as a wayward grenade rolled across the hall. Jason's rage finally got to his head as he readied his Gatling gun, revving it up and lighting the hallway with his rain of fire.

"Contact! Viper, Sigma, get your asses up here now!" Yelled Attilius.

"Roger, Alpha, we're on our way with guests," replied the vixen. However, Sigma team already joined up with Greek and Alpha, covering fire for Jason.

"THIS IS FOR MY BROTHERS, YOU BASTARDS!" Yelled the toad. One by one, the forces of Andross were dropping and retreating. More soldiers joined up in front of Attilius, causing Alpha team to fire what remaining weapons they had. The lupine pressed a red button near him, extending a metal bar from the wall to about three-quarters of the way, providing cover for the team.

"Sigma, good to have you back in our arms," said Attilius with a smile. He was efficient when it came to taking down soldiers from cover.

"Good to be back," replied the cheetah softly. Jenn smiled and took cover near Attilius. The two were fighting alongside their team as the monkey troops poured in the hallway. After a few minutes of fighting (and a few casualties from Alpha and Greek), the enemy forces in the hallway have been neutralized. Viper came to the company's aid at the last minute and finished off the rest of Andross' beasts alongside their allies.

"Glad to see you could make it, Viper," Attilius said in a cheerful tone.

"We brought some friends," said the vixen. Carla pointed toward the men who were held captive by Andross. Jules went up and handed the men some night vision gas masks, the last of which they had. There were a few extras, so Alpha team decided to keep them in case they came across more friendly survivors.

"Can you still fight?" Asked the panther. One of the guards looked up with his gas mask and turned on the lights, finally nodding.

"Of course. We want revenge," he added. Upon looking at them, he noticed there was a wolf who walked up to the guards, hands behind his back.

"Keep your team behind us. We're tracking the CO of the platoon here, taking him dead or alive," Attilius stated to the guard. The guard, who was in fact a razorback, saluted his new officer.

"Aye, sir," he said. The captain of the guards here in Fort Donwald was dead, that much they knew. This new razorback, whose name was Michael Yankton, assumed control over his separate squad of ex-guards, now a team under Attilius' command.

"You'll be Epsilon. Jason, take your remaining four forces and split them between us. You're merging now," commanded the lupine.

The toad just nodded and spoke softly, heavily breathing as his rage finally subsided. "Yes, sir."

"You're with me, Jason. Donaldson, you too. Lowsky and Jared, go with Sigma."

As the teams recalibrated, they began planning their assault to the CO of the base. All four of them took separate routes trying to confront the CO. However, in doing so, troublesome soldiers under Andross' banner will do everything they can to stop them. It had only been ten minutes since the recalibration of new teams, but they wasted no time in getting to work.

Epsilon decided it'd be best to interrogate a soldier for the location of the CO. Needless to say, the interrogation was a success, leading them to a possible location of the CO and another dead Androssian soldier. "Alpha, this is Epsilon."

"Epsilon, you're green," replied the lupine.

"The location of the Fort's CO is about three clicks to your west, over."

"Perfect. Sigma and Alpha will take him. Work on more leads in case we get there late, over."

"Yes, sir. Epsilon out."

Michael Yankton cracked his neck and flexed his shoulders. His company of six began covering the tracks of Alpha and Sigma as they came in contact with enemy forces and neutralized them. As stealthy as they were, the company of six became five as one of the ex-guards was shot down by stray blaster fire.

Sigma formed up next to Alpha as they began traversing the hallways. Attilius noticed something strange as he saw a flash of unending light on his night vision. He turned off the green light on his visor and saw that the halls were again brightly lit with white light.

"Damn it. Viper, come in," the lupine said.

"Viper here."

"They turned the auxiliary power on. Track the team that did it and neutralize them."

"Sir."

Carla Jordani signaled her group to turn to the auxiliary power room, following the hallway a short distance before seeing two of Andross' soldiers guarding the door, working on the panel and getting its lock encrypted. A wolf by the name of Kevin Stevenson quietly went prone and aimed his sniper at one of the soldiers. A shot was fired from his shoulder and drove into the soldier's back, instantly killing him. The other soldier immediately got up and primed his blaster. He barely got a word out before another sniper round collided with his skull, leaving a burning husk of what used to be a monkey's head.

"Clear," the wolf said. Viper team then advanced to the auxiliary power room and noticed the door's lock was only half encrypted, but enough to keep the door locked. Carla had some experience with encrypted locks, so she decoded it and unlocked the blast doors without hesitation. However, as soon as the doors opened, small metal wires whirred across the door and sliced through the remainder of Viper team. Carla tried to get a word out, but all she could hear from her end was screaming, dying, and whirring of machines. She clicked on her comm link.

"A-Alpha… Spikewires in the power room… we're done…" Carla breathed heavily as she saw both her legs three feet from her waist in front of her. Blood was slowly trickling from where her legs used to be connected and turning the white metal floors a shade of scarlet.

Andross' beasts came with guns blazing. Carla was a brave vixen as she fired her blaster towards the enemies sprinting toward her. Four Androssians were down before she saw a blaster round coming toward her chest. Her last words muttered through her comm link to her friends came almost in a whisper, but in the hearts of the cadets, it sounded as if it were a loudspeaker.

"For Corneria…"

* * *

"Viper! VIPER!" The lupine couldn't believe what he heard. Spikewires were an illegal weapon thanks to the Cornerian Defense Committee, but Andross, as it seems, isn't playing by the rules of warfare. It was all or nothing in the mad scientist's eyes. Michael Yankton of Epsilon shed a tear, remembering it was Viper team who rescued them from the prisons.

Attilius sighed. "It's time to press on. The CO office is near here. We are going to have to operate in the light. It's time for plan B."

"What's plan B, sir?" asked Michael.

"Gassing the entire base, leaving only the CO alive. We have extra gas masks for this very reason."

The cadets were more than ready, but the guardsmen of the Fort were uneasy. "Sir, with all due respect, wouldn't that kill any Cornerian forces coming to our aid?"

"Soldier, Corneria is in ruins. The air battles are dismal and every base planetside is destroyed. We must defend our own."

"If I may suggest something… sir."

The voice in his earpiece was feminine and familiar, much like the cheetah he knew dearly.

"Go on, Jenn."

"Why not make them think there is a gas leak? They'll evacuate and we'll be able to push them out easier."

Attilius pondered this and came to a conclusion. "All right. This sounds… better. Epsilon…"

The lupine tossed the razorback a large canister. "This is colored tear gas. Putting small doses in controlled amounts through the ventilation system could bring the impression of a neurotoxin. Go to the ventilation systems… you know what to do, Yankton."

"Yes, sir!" With that, Epsilon began traversing the base.

"What do we do about the CO?" asked Jason. Attilius sat in silence, contemplating his next move.

"Guess we'll try to take him alive like the first plan. Only instead of actually gassing the place, we'll only make them think we're gassing it," he glanced at Jennifer, smiling through his mask.

Epsilon met little resistance on their way to the ventilation systems. They numbered only five, but their determination made them stronger. A falcon by the name of Lester Logan volunteered to plant the gas canister in the vent system, setting it to periodic flush.

"Alpha, this is Epsilon. Package has been delivered, over," said the razorback.

Attilius acknowledged his friend. "Good work. Come back to us, we're setting up a plan."

"Over and out. We should be there sh—"

Blaster fire rocketed at the doors. The company was ambushed by a troop of soldiers under the banner of Andross. Two men from Epsilon were killed during the short conflict, causing them to retreat. When the soldiers entered the vent room, fumes of tear gas started to travel inside their respiratory systems. One by one, the Androssians began coughing and gagging, their bodies on the floor as their eyes filled up with tears.

They weren't dying, but Michael knew he could probably take one soldier alive. He took one of his fallen comrade's gas mask and placed it on one soldier as the others were systematically executed by his comrades. The razorback strapped the gas mask on the soldier's face, causing him to calm down. Of course, his weapon was also taken away.

"Epsilon! Epsilon do you read?!"

"We're fine, Alpha… we number at three now. Got ourselves a prisoner, too."

"Epsilon, we have no time to spare for prisoners. Get your asses back here."

Michael paused for a few seconds before scoffing. "Yes, sir."

The razorback inched toward the dying monkey who was already sustaining a blaster wound to the leg. "S-Stay back! Get away!"

"I have orders to kill you, scum," replied Michael coldly.

"W-Wait! C-Commander Uriel isn't here!"

Michael paused as his blaster was primed at the monkey's head. He sighed and knelt down, placing his hand on the monkey's neck in a threatening manner.

"If you want to live… you'll tell us what you know."

"Of c-course! The c-commander isn't at his office… It's a trap! Your friends will suffer the s-same fate as the other team!"

"Viper? They got split by illegal spikewires. Where is your commander?"

"L-last I heard, the commander f-fled, trying to get reinforcements to the base. The b-battle looks grim for us! I swear! The b-blasted fox arrived…"

"If what you say is true, the base is already won for us. Thank you, friend," Michael smiled under his mask, standing back up.

"Are y-you going to let me go?"

"Unfortunately, your allegiance lies with Andross," Michael pointed his blaster up at the monkey's head again. He tried to stand and run, but it was too late. Blaster fire already collided with the side of his head, leaving the cowardly monkey lifeless.

Michael called the comm link to the other teams. "Bad news, friends. The CO bolted."

"Come again?" replied the lupine.

"The CO, Commander Uriel, fled the Fort. The office is deserted except for spikewire mines. Reinforcements from Andross' army should be here any minute!"

_Son of a bitch…_

"Retrieve the gas canister and get your asses back here. We still have time to clear the fort and hold our defenses," commanded Attilius.

"Yes, sir."

Alpha and Sigma changed their plans as soon as Epsilon arrived. After a few minutes of planning, Attilius had something in mind.

"Stealth time is over. The time to go loud is now. Epsilon, make sure the east wing and the barracks are clear of enemies. If you can, see if you can scavenge some supplies and ammo, as the armory isn't too far from there. Sigma, you're going to the west wing and the mess hall. While you're at it, bring enough MREs. I think we all deserve something to eat. Those are the only areas of the Fort we haven't covered yet and I'm expecting resistance.

"Alpha will do a sweep of the areas we've already been in, doing a body count, and preparing a memorial for our fallen comrades… we'll also be scavenging some weapons, ammo, medical supplies from the clinic, and maybe some articles of clothing. Are we in an understanding?"

Various 'yes sirs' were said throughout the company. They disbanded after a few moments of hand-shaking and shoulder-patting.

"Attie?" came a familiar female voice.

Attilius looked behind him and noticed his cheetah friend. She was taking off her gas mask and smiled at the lupine. "I just want to say… we'll make it out of this alive, okay?"

The lupine slipped off his gas mask and smiled back at her, sharing a moment with his beautiful friend.

"I'll make sure of it. Now, put your gas mask back on, sol—"

He was cut off. Jennifer Walls, the girl he had feelings for all throughout the Academy, ran up and kissed the lupine on his lips. Naturally, he kissed her back and held her close, marking her as the only person he cared for at the moment. During their times at the Academy, he'd always do his best to show her that he was better than her. However, being the strong woman she is, Jenn always stood him up from his achievements.

Attilius admires an ambitious girl, and he knew that Jennifer Walls was his type of girl. He always eyed her, trained with her, and they even confessed their feelings for each other on one occasion. Jenn, not wanting to lose another one she loved, declined on his offer to start seeing each other on more than a few occasions. The lupine understood and didn't pressure her further, leading them to distance themselves from any serious relationship.

Her sweet kiss, however, nearly brought a tear to the lupine's eye.

_J-Jenn…_

As soon as the two stopped their kiss, they had a moment looking into each other's eyes and smiling. His paw went to her cheek softly as he caressed. "Now, put your gas mask back on, Jenn…"

Under his orders, she did. So did him, in fact, as they both started to feel the effects of the small amount of tear gas seeping into the hallways, even though the canister was removed. The cheetah regrouped with her team as Attilius went back to Alpha, carrying out their objectives.

* * *

Long story short, the three groups were successful with very little resistance. It seems that the cowardly monkey was telling the truth about the soldiers fleeing.

_Seems Star Fox finally arrived to rain hell._

The aerial battle may have been won by the Cornerians, but the ground forces were struggling to keep control over their beloved planet. Andross' forces mostly fled the battle when the Star Fox team rolled in, destroying their fighters in the air. This gave the morale needed to storm the captured areas of Corneria and retake it from the evil scientist's hands.

Alpha team managed to disarm the spikewire mines in the CO's office, only finding no one there except for the dead body of Commander Joseph Boston, the Cornerian commander in charge of Fort Donwald. The unmasked men and women of the Academy graduates and the ex-POWs made their plans on the CO's desk after wrapping Joseph's body in a bag and setting him aside with a Cornerian flag.

"All right, from now on, our teams are disbanded. We're one team under one banner, trying to take back what's ours. Reinforcements to hold this 'empty' fort will be coming from Andross' army. Now, most of the monkey's forces have retreated thanks to the Star Fox team, but they're still looking to control some key areas and fight to their last breath," Attilius had no end to his charismatic leadership.

Jules Ingram scoffed and slammed a wrench down on the metal floor. "Sir, radio's still busted… it's going to take me a while."

"Take your time, soldier. As soon as you get the radio fixed, call in for reinforcements," replied Attilius calmly. Michael Yankton walked up to the lupine.

"Any idea when Andross' forces will arrive?"

"Nope. However, we must be prepared. The side entrances of the base are closed off completely, making it nearly impossible for anyone to pull through. The main entrance is open, which is where the forces of Andross will most likely be in bulk. We can set up a defensive perimeter."

Jenn stood from where she was sitting on a stool. She picked up a Gatling gun and walked towards Attilius. "What are we waiting for, Attie? Let's lock and load."

An hour of setting up defenses passed by. Two forward machine guns in the corners of the courtyard aimed at an angle towards the huge blast doors of the base. The courtyard was completely deserted, leaving ample room for causing explosions with numerous H. Launchers. Metal cover was secured around the machine guns while positions were lined up with ammo and supplies.

"We number at only twenty-seven now. We'll be outnumbered five-to-one, most likely. It's important that we set up as much ordinance as possible," Attilius explained.

"I can man a machine gun easy," stated Jason.

"So can I," replied Michael.

"Perfect. Both of you will man a Gatling gun on the sides of the courtyard. Jenn?"

The cheetah's ears perked up and smiled.

"You're going to set up the minefield with Kevin," Attilius commanded. The cheetah nodded and went to do her duties.

The minefield was set up in front of the blast doors. As soon as any contact comes inside the courtyard, the mines will detonate.

_So far so good, _Attilius thought.

The company looked above and noticed enemy aircraft and Cornerian fighters engaging in aerial combat above, smiling as they saw their allies winning the battle.

The blast doors began rumbling. Attilius saw a bright orange light in the center of the massive metal doors. "Contact! Enemy forces burning through the doors!"

Various voices were heard, along with familiar clicking and priming of their blasters.

"Contact! Let's have some fun!"

"Let's show these bastards who they're messin' with!"

Attilius entered the main base, going into the nearby CO office. He saw his panther friend still working the radio. "Attie, this shit isn't working. Radio is completely busted."

"Patience, Jules. Just get it done as quickly as you can, friend. The enemy has made contact… You know your place, right?"

"Yes, I do," replied the panther with a smirk.

"Good. We'll make it out of this alive." The lupine placed a hand on the shoulder of his friend.

"I hope so, Attie… let's go kill 'em."

The confident wolf went to his position in the courtyard, kneeling under some cover with Jenn. She looked at him solemnly.

"We might not make it… the numbers are too great."

The wolf places his hand on her cheek, prompting her to hold on to his hand gently. "We'll make it, Jenn… I promise you."

A tear brewed in her eye, but she wiped it off and continued looking ahead, seeing the orange light grow brighter. The longer the company of just twenty-seven waited, the more uneasy they felt. Finally, they heard the hissing of a laser cutter and saw the doors being torn open. A red sinister Landmaster-class tank pushed the weakened doors open, forcing the way through as the courtyard was filled with Andross' men.

Explosions were seen from all across the courtyard, mainly on the soldiers' side. Jason and Michael opened fire from their forward machine guns toward the tank, and the machine was destroyed in seconds.

"Ambush! Return fire!" cried Andross' soldiers.

"Give 'em hell! Don't hold back!" commanded Attilius. He returned fire against Andross' troops, hitting numerous numbers with his primed blaster.

And so the battle raged on, quickly diminishing the company of twenty-seven down to twenty-two. However, even though they lost a chunk of their good men, Andross' forces had a fourth of their men shaved off. Another red, evil-looking Landmaster came rolling into the base, only to be greeted by a rocket from Jenn's H. Launcher.

Attilius decided it'd be best to toss a lovely-crafted grenade to the troops in front of him. He primed it, cooked it, and threw it overhead, making it detonate and kill at least four soldiers. Jenn stood nearby her mate, calling out under the loud blaster fire. "Attilius! There is no way out! They keep pouring in!"

"We're not falling back! We've got them by the balls! Keep firing!" Attilius was enraged with pure adrenaline, downing any monkey who came within the sights of his blaster. Jenn stood and fired another rocket round, killing a bulk of troops in her path.

"Contact! Four more tanks, making their way through!" screamed Jenn through her comm. Attilius looked up and noticed only one forward machine gun was firing.

A voice cried out in his comm. "Attilius! This is Yankton! Jason is down!"

His eyes widened. His toad friend, who already lost both his only brothers in this blasted war, was either dead or dying in agony. Without hesitation, Attilius sprang up to begin running. He placed his hand on Jenn's shoulder. "Hold the position."

Before the cheetah responded, the lupine already left, ducking behind cover while making his way to the empty machine gun. He knelt down to his dying friend, holding him in his arms. He assessed two blaster wounds in his chest and placed a hand on his burning flesh. "J-Jason, look at me…"

"A-Attie… I… I die for my home…"

"No, don't say that. You're going to see your mother again, okay? She needs her only son back," Attilius said sadly. He tried to reassure him, but the numerous blaster fire only distracted both of them. It wasn't before long that his toad friend died in his arms. He dropped his body gently next to the machine gun and closed his eyes. He manned the gun shortly after muttering to his friend and yelled with pure rage.

"YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" It was as if all the rage in Corneria had seeped into his heart. He rained fire from the machine gun against the armies of Andross, mainly missing, but definitely killing some of the troops in pure rage.

"Sir! Radio fixed! I relayed our allies for reinforcements!" came an ecstatic panther's voice.

The lupine was too preoccupied in the destruction of Andross' men. However, a quick scour to the battlefield showed that his company's numbers diminished from twenty-two to about thirteen, glad to still see Jenn and Michael alive and well. However, he quickly noticed Jenn being downed by a blaster fire, crying in pain.

"JULES! Jules, get your ass over here! Jenn's hurt!" cried Attilius. The machine gun lost its firing ability as it was shot by a stray blaster. He looked to his right and noticed the second machine gun was not firing. Michael Yankton, the last of the POWs, was killed by a blaster wound to the stomach.

"Attie! Oh, man… Attie, she isn't going to make it," replied a panicked panther.

"Get her in the base. Now! We're falling back!"

The panther carried Jenn behind him, running as fast as he could. It was to no avail, as he was shot in the back with stray blaster fire. The remaining number from the original company was one, comprising solely of Attilius. The lupine mustered enough courage to run back into the base and into the CO's office. Kicking the desk over, he knelt behind it with the radio promptly on his side. The lupine loaded two submachine guns, one in each hand.

"This is First Lieutenant Attilius Bowman of OpAc! I am currently sustaining heavy fire from the enemy! Where the hell are the reinforcements?!"

He peeked up, firing blindly at the opening of the door. He managed to kill the small squadron coming into the base. When he looked up again, he sustained a blaster wound to his arm. It was nicked, but it still caused him considerate pain. He moved back, knowing he got his message out to the Cornerian government, and began reloading his SMG. He waited until he saw a piece of red armor, firing a few rounds into the monkey's skull.

Thanks to the rapid succession, he was able to take down more than one enemy at a time. Attilius was at his last clip, savoring every round he could muster. When more of the soldiers came, one shot up the lupine's left leg, only causing him to yell in pain and unload on the entire squadron. When the final squad came in, he didn't have time to unload the remaining three energy rounds from his SMG. He saw the squadron of Andross' men go down with a force; their corpses smoking with blaster wounds.

"Clear left!"

"Clear right!"

"Corners clear! Base is secure, sir! Everyone has been neutralized."

"No… everyone except…"

The distinguished soldier walked into the CO's office with his men. He knelt in front of Attilius and beckoned the soldiers to come to his aid. He was a brown dog and had the look of a friendly face on him. A badge over his heart decorated the Cornerian symbol. The man smiled at the wolf as four medics came with a stretcher.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _Well, that's the first chapter! I really hope everyone enjoyed it... I read it over and over, perfecting it as best as I could. Please leave a review! The second and third chapters are all done, as of this point, but I just wanted to test the waters a bit. Keep being awesome!**


	2. Chapter 2: Viper

**_Author's Note: _Well, here is chapter two! I got some views on the first one, but I really hope those who read it can be impressed with this one. I tried my best, and I'm proud of my first fanfiction. Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The pain he endured in his leg and arm didn't wake him. The emptiness he felt inside of him and the coldness of the infirmary caused his fur to stand upright. He remembered seeing Jenn and Jules get shot before his eyes and killed in cold blood. A vixen nurse was next to him, readying a syringe.

"Relax, Mr. Bowman… This is some morphine. Should help you with your leg and arm," she said calmly. The nurse injected the medicine in his IV from the port, allowing a slow, steady stream of painkillers to be released within his body.

"We… We won. Right?"

"Yes, Mr. Bowman… Andross has fled. Corneria is safe, thanks to the Star Fox team taking out their mothership," she said with a smile. "I heard you're quite the soldier, Mr. Bowman."

The lupine simply looked down, a look of disdain and sadness befell his eyes. He remembered seeing his friends cry out in agony as they were shot and killed.

"Are… Sgt. Jennifer Walls and Pvt. Jules Ingram here…?" He asked, already knowing the answer. _Maybe I'm just hoping for them to be alive…_

The vixen nurse frowned. "I'm sorry… I knew they were your friends. They didn't make it."

Attilius now had a death confirmation. His four closest friends whom he spend every single day with for the past two years suddenly died in the span of four hours. He looked at the clock and noticed it was past midnight.

"How many casualties?"

The vixen also frowned. "Militarily… over two-hundred-thousand and climbing. Luckily, the civilian casualties make up a small fraction of that. Most of the people are safe."

Before Attilius could speak, he noticed a dog coming in with two guards. He look sort of aged, but donned the red general's coat of the Cornerian army.

"General on deck!" cried out a soldier. The general seemed to make his way to Attilius Bowman himself. When he stopped, Attilius immediately saluted the general with his good hand, pulling a straight, attentive face and not saying a single word unless spoken to.

"Son, you can forget the formalities. I heard you did a fantastic job holding out Fort Donwald until we arrived. My name is General Pepper, son."

Attilius was at a loss for words for a few seconds. He lowered his hand and placed it on his chest. He then finally noticed his patched up left arm. "Well, s-sir, I just wanted the house cleaned before guests arrive."

The General managed to get a laugh out at Attilius' joke. He placed his gentle hand on the lupine's shoulder. "Mr. Bowman… I believe you earned yourself a Medal of Honor."

Attilius' eyes widened. "Oh… oh, no, sir. All I did was babysit a Fort, I couldn't possibl—"

"Son, I insist. The ceremony will be held in the Capital building in three days… that'll get you on your feet. I better see you there, son." General Pepper cracked a smile, finally leaving Attilius before heading out of the infirmary.

"General off deck!" Yelled a soldier. With that, Attilius felt a sense of pride and joy… but also a sense of profound sadness. _Not like my friends are able to see my accomplishment… they deserve it more than I do._

* * *

Three days felt like an eternity in Attilius' eyes. Medical personnel periodically reminded Attilius that he couldn't smoke in the operating room, and that he had to exit outdoors to have a smoke. The nice vixen nurse only talked to him for a day before she had to switch duties. _And here I thought I was sweet-talking her._

His new nurse was a fairly nice chameleon, albeit a bit stern. He didn't try to sweet-talk her, as she seemed like the person who would lash out if you tried to flirt with her. Still, the thought crossed his mind and he laughed in his head at imagining an angry she-chameleon screaming obscenities at the entire infirmary.

The lupine was still absolutely dumbstruck at his apparent earning of the Medal of Honor, the highest military medal Corneria can give to their armed forces. _I bet the Star Fox team owns about seven each._

Periodic therapy for his leg was administered for the past day. Even though he had a limp, he still managed to walk semi-normally.

"Are you sure you can walk, Lt. Bowman?" asked the nurse.

"Yeah… I can walk. Thanks for assisting in patching me up. Can I have that cigarette now?" Asked the lupine with a coy smile.

She cracked a smile. "Sure. Just be sure you're outside the infirmiry."

Later that evening, he donned his ceremonial Spec. Op. formalwear from his footlocker, scarfed a quick MRE in the infirmary mess hall, and waited outside the base for transport. He finally got his long-awaited peace from the infirmary and took out a pack of cigarettes. The lupine flicked the box open, stuck a cigarette out, and placed it in his mouth, lighting it.

He had his smoke for a few minutes, dropping the butt of his cigarette in a container specifically designed for cigarette butts. He saw a HoverCab slowly approach the soldier, and he hailed it from the entrance of the base. Luckily, the Cornerian Capital was relatively unscathed during the battle, leaving the roadways clear and civilians out and about.

As he was walking in public, people noticed him and shook his hand, saluted him for his brave service, even gave him hugs sometimes. His cab finally appeared before him.

"Hello. I'd like to go to the Capital building," he said calmly.

"Right on, soldier boy!"

The city was huge. It took the cab maybe twenty minutes driving at normal speed limits to get to the Capital Building. _I'm glad I left early._

While the cab driver did his job, he talked to the lupine. "So were you out in the field?"

"I… guess you could say that, yeah," he replied almost in a mumbling manner.

"Seen any action these past few days?" he asked curiously.

Attilius paused, pondering the death of his friends. "Yes. I was at Kingston."

The driver sighed. "That city got hit hard… I heard Fort Donwald got captured by only one man."

_Should I tell him? Nahh… that'll make me feel like an asshole. But… I guess I need to embrace it sooner or later._

"You're speaking to that one man," said Attilius almost inaudibly.

"R-really?!"

"Yes, sir. We kicked Andross' damned tail out of the base," he said. Attilius didn't seem exactly proud of the fact. Maybe if Jules or Jenn survived…

_Fight it… no tears here, Attie._

"Well… I'm sorry for bringing it up. We're almost there, sir," said the cabby.

After a few minutes, he finally arrives at the Cornerian capital, where he sees news vans and many family members attending the award ceremony. It doubled as a memorial service, so the people that usually accompanied the ceremony are about tripled.

"How much do I owe you, man?" asked Attilius.

The cabby paused, smiling. "Just get out of my cab, soldier boy. I don't take fares from military. Congratulations, sir."

Attilius smiled, shaking hands with the cabby as he got out. "If you ever need me, Mr. Bowman… here's my card. I'm Ian Davis."

Upon further examination, he noticed the cabby was also a wolf, but grey in color. It was almost a nice contrast to Attilius' reddish-brown. He smiled and nodded, taking the card. "Will do."

Ian drove off, leaving Attilius to wonder into the Capital Building. When he traversed to the ceremony room, he met a few other men and women in the room with him, sitting in their reserved seats. One seat was labeled '1st Lt. Attilius Bowman, OpAc.' He removed the label and sat there, without any confirmation from guards in the area. The lupine figured that his nametag on his uniform gave him all rights to remove the seat's label. He began conversing with a female panther next to him.

"I heard you're the one who held off Fort Donwald," she started saying.

The wolf looked back at her, his facial expression unchanged. "Yeah… that was me."

"That's… really impressive. Even for an Operative. I'm sorry about your comrades, Lt. Bowman," she said sincerely. Attilius cracked a smile.

"Thank you… it means a lot."

"I'm Lt. Alicia Roberts. I was a pilot during the battle."

"You already know my name, it seems," Attilius said, extending his hand. The panther shook his hand and smiled. Attilius resumed looking at the gathering stage, stealthily wiping a tear from his eye. He felt something thrown at his shoulder, but brushed it off. _Probably a little kid, or something._

He felt it again. _What the hell?_

Turning around, he saw a very familiar face. His eyes widened in complete surprise as he saw the pilot a few rows behind him. Attilius stood, inching toward the pilot. His friend, a dog, stood and they both gave each other a warm embrace.

"C-Charlie! Charlie Freeman! Holy sweet… It's you, my friend, it's you…"

He couldn't hold it out any longer. He began crying on his friend's shoulder.

"Attie… it's so good to see you, man. I saw your name on the medal list… I had to come see you during my down time."

Charlie had been friends with Attilius since they were in diapers. In fact, they practically were brothers, being born in the same hospital. Charlie was literally three days older than Attilius. They grew up together. They fought together.

_My best friend… I never thought…_

"Hey, Attie… You have an award to win. Why don't we go out for a couple of drinks after this, all right?" His friend said. He patted his shoulder gently, letting go of his hug.

"Yeah… yeah, sounds good," he said softly.

"Now go have a seat, ya crybaby," he said. They both shared a laugh as they took their seats.

"Friend of yours?" asked the panther with a smile.

"More like a brother…"

* * *

The ceremony was successful. When Attilius was called up to the stage, he pulled the best 'soldier' look on his face without tearing up in his eyes. He thought of Jenn, Jason, and Jules, their deaths, laughs… He also thought it was ironic how all their names started with the letter 'J.' Nevertheless, General Pepper awarded the well-earned medals to the four recipients; a pilot, two soldiers, and of course Attilius, an operative.

He noticed a girl sitting with his friend. She smiled with a tear in her eye as he glanced at Charlie and the girl. _So they're still together… I hadn't seen her in years._

The feline laid her head on Charlie's shoulder, holding him close. He always thought Charlie Freeman and Kate Sullivan would someday get married. They had, after all, been together for nearly three years. After the two hour ceremony (it was also a memorial), he met up with Charlie and Kate outside of the building. The feline wrapped her arms around Attilius in a warm embrace. "Attie! Oh, my God, it's so good to see you! I'm so glad you made it out of there alive…"

Attilius hugged her back tightly, "Kate! Wow, I've missed you… I see you two are getting along quite well."

She let him go, coming by Charlie's side again. "Yeah, we're great! Charlie's on leave from the Air Force for a month… we're enjoying our time here at home."

"Corneria's been rough lately… I'm glad you two are safe in the Capital," said Attilius with a warm smile. _I'd hate to see more of my friends lose their lives…_

"Oh, I can handle on my own, you know. Not like I haven't gotten into scuttles," explained Kate. Charlie laughed at her remark, clearing his throat.

"Yeeeaaahhh… she's a feisty one," he said bluntly. He felt her hand smack against his shoulder and he smiled. Overall, the trio was just happy to be together again.

"You mind if I take a quick smoke?" asked Attilius.

"Not at all, man. You know we don't smoke," said Charlie. Attilius got his pack of cigarettes and smiled, knowing that his friends were always tolerant of his bad habit. He puffed a grey cloud for a few minutes.

"Hey, Attie, do you have anywhere to go?" asked the feline. Attilius, to his own surprise, hadn't even thought about a place to stay. General Pepper had awarded him twenty-five-thousand credits and two weeks off-duty, but not a place to live during that time. He shook his head, scratching it afterwards.

"No. To be honest… I hadn't even thought about a roof over my head. Too distracted…" He finished his cancer-stick and flicked it in a cigarette disposal bin.

"Then why don't you bunk with us? It's only for a couple weeks, right?" asked Charlie happily. "It'll be like old times!"

Attilius smiled at both of his childhood friends. "Yes. Yes, that'll be great. As long as I pay this month's rent."

Charlie began to object, but Kate interjected. "It's a deal!"

The two weeks at Charlie and Kate's place were the best two weeks Attilius had in a long while. The trio went out drinking, eating, smoking (only on Attilius' side) and just hanging out with each other like old times. The lupine explained to his friends what really happened at Fort Donwald. Of course, Charlie knowing by combat experience, that holding off something is a difficult task. Both he and the government were thoroughly surprised he held off on his own.

Kate drove Attilius to the military base, along with Charlie in the passenger seat. "These two weeks have been fun… I hate to see you go, Attie," she said.

"He's a tough bastard. I'm sure he'll be kicking some ass and returning home, soon enough," retorted Charlie in a cheerful tone. Kate parked the car somewhere close and got off, followed by the dog as well. The trio left the car and walked slowly toward the base.

"Well," Attilius sighed. "This is it."

"You don't want to go, do you?" asked his friend.

The lupine looked over at the pilot. "I do. I just hope you're safe these coming weeks, too."

The pilot placed a hand on the lupine's shoulder, a tear almost brewing in his eye. "I'll be safe, my friend… I'm more worried about you."

"I'll take care of him, don't you worry," said Kate. She embraced the lupine and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Kick some ass for us, would you?"

Attilius nodded. They said their heartfelt goodbyes and the lupine finally made it into the base. The receptionist looked at him sternly and directed him towards the briefing room after figuring out who he was. The wolf was guided to the room where he sat in waiting for something to happen. After about a half hour, three people came into the room: a she-wolf, bulldog, and a cheetah.

Lieutenant Attilius Bowman stood quickly and saluted his superiors. The cheetah was male, obviously a First Lieutenant and the she-wolf looked to be a Captain. However, the bulldog was definitely a Colonel.

"First Lieutenant Attilius Bowman, OpAc Cadet, sir!" barked Attilius as he saluted.

"At ease, soldier. Have a seat," said the Colonel.

As he was commanded, Attilius took a seat in front of the table, as did the Colonel. His other two officers stood next to him with their hands behind their back.

"You're an asset, Lt. Bowman. Ford Donwald was a very impressive display. I'm sure you've heard this many times, but I am sorry for your losses," the Colonel explained. "I'm Colonel James Philips. I've been tasked to oversee your new group."

"My… new group, sir?" asked Attilius in a curious and nervous tone.

"Yes, your new group… Captain."

Attilius was being promoted. His eyes widened and he cleared his throat. He was finally able to officially lead a platoon into battle. "It's… it's an honor, sir!"

"Indeed it is. You're going to Fichina, soldier." The Colonel placed a file in front of the lupine. "Andross has taken the climate control facility and plans on turning our outpost there into a frozen hunk of ice. You're to go in there, neutralize the priority targets, and restore balance to the center."

"Yes, sir. It will be done, sir," said Attilius immediately.

"Let's go meet the rest of your team, son," said the Colonel. As he stood, so did Attilius. The two brothers-in-arms exited the room, followed by the Colonel's two officers. They went to another room into the base where six other people were waiting. When the Colonel entered, they all stood and saluted.

"Commanding officer on deck!" one of them shouted. They were all dressed in their ceremonial Operative clothes, just like Attilius. However, even though they all looked to be at least two years older than Attilius, their ranks were much lower.

"At ease, men," the Colonel said.

"Colonel, who's the whelp?" asked a very large boar in a deep, growling voice.

"This 'whelp,' Sgt. Henderson, is your new officer. This is Capt. Attilius Bowman. He'll be your commanding officer for this mission. And perhaps many others, if he succeeds," explained the Colonel sternly.

The boar widened his eyes, saluting directly at Attilius. "Master Sergeant Rick Henderson, sir! I… apologize for the 'whelp' comment, sir."

"It's no problem," said Attilius with a smirk. A she-wolf opened her mouth slightly in astonishment.

"**_The_**Attilius Bowman…?" she asked softly. The entire company, even the Colonel, was surprised at her remark.

"Uh… yes, I am him," said the lupine. The company was surprised because the she-wolf almost never talked. She was too quiet, even for her own good. To hear her speak out like that almost made the company die of shock, metaphorically.

Attilius almost couldn't take his eyes off her. The she-wolf's fur was more reddish than brown, a contrast to Attilius' mostly brown fur. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green he'd ever saw. He summed her up using his almost-supernatural-like light blue eyes. "What's your name, soldier?"

She gave a salute. "Lieutenant Anya Quinn, sir!"

_Anya Quinn… I'll definitely remember that._

After Anya gave her introduction, the rest of the company gave theirs.

"Gunnery Sergeant Frank Taylor, sir!" barked a male grey fox.

"Master Sergeant Hannah Winslow, sir!" said a female panther.

"Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Svensky, sir!" said a male falcon.

"Staff Sergeant Isaiah Potter, sir!" said a male cat.

They all gave a salute as they introduced themselves as Viper Company. The Colonel spoke to Attilius silently. "I trust you can debrief them from here. Meet me at the hangars with your team at 1100 hours."

"Sir," replied Attilius. With that note, the Colonel left. Attilius sized-up his newly formed team and smirked.

"Well, I may make soldiers out of you lot, after all," he said jokingly.

The company let out small chuckles. "What's next for us, Captain?" asked Svensky.

Attilius looked at the dark green falcon. "Please, save the formalities. Bowman is just fine."

"All right… Bowman. What's next, then?"

"The Colonel is sending us to Fichina to overthrow the growing threat of Andross there. The climate control station is captured by the enemy and the planet is at a vantage point for the monkey's eye on Corneria. I believe we need to take him out," explained Attilius.

"Small team, low visibility to us. Makes a lot of sense," replied Anya shyly.

"Ever since Bowman entered the room, you said more than the last year combined," said Taylor to Quinn.

She gave him a stern, sharp look. He quieted down quickly after that.

"I need to know everyone's skills. Taylor, smart-assery isn't considered a skill," said Attilius coolly.

"Ohh, shots fired," replied Winslow. Attilius shot the panther a look.

"And what makes you special, ma'am?"

Winslow blushed as she was called out in front of her team. She rose up and cleared her throat. "I specialize in repairing various mechanical and technical hardware, including robots and highly sensitive military equipment, sir." she said with humility.

"Just Bowman is fine," Attilius replied. He gave the she-wolf he admired a look. "How about you, miss?"

"I… specialize in long-range weaponry and stealth tactics, Bowman…" she said shyly. Attilius nodded with a smirk, giving her a stealthy wink. She noticed the action and looked away, blushing and smiling to herself. _I bet I make her feel weak in the knees._

Before anyone else got a word out, Attilius shot the boar a look. "And you?"

"I specialize in explosives and heavy weaponry, Bowman!" he said proudly. Attilius smiled, knowing he'd be a good friend.

The lupine gave the fox a look. "And you, vulpine?"

"Well, besides smart-assery, I specialize in medicine. I'm a combat medic, Bowman," he said with a hint of pride.

_Great. This guy needs a lesson in humility. _"All right, good. We need one of those. Keep your remarks to yourself, from now on," Attilius said. The fox just sighed and looked down.

"You, bird?" Asked the lupine to Svensky.

"Hey, please… Don't call me 'bird,' all right? I specialize in getting through doors and hacking computer systems. There isn't a lock or terminal in Lylat that I can't bypass," replied the falcon. Attilius smiled, knowing his skills could be useful when infiltrating a base.

"And last but not least, Potter. What do you do?"

He looked up shyly, obviously the lowest rank. "Just a gunner, sir. If it fires with high velocity and repetition, I want it," he said.

Attilius squinted at the cat, to which the feline quickly corrected himself. "Sorry… Bowman."

The lupine smiled, nodding at everyone. "Well, I'm glad I got to know my team."

"What's so special about you? You know, besides being able to hold a base by yourself," asked Winslow.

"I didn't hold the base by myself, Winslow. I held it with my friends. I just happened to be the only one to get out of there alive," explained Attilius in a tone of regret. "And I do a little bit of everything."

"Jack of all trades, master of none…" muttered Quinn.

"What was that, Quinn?" asked Attilius gently. He smirked as she looked up.

"N-nothing!"

"Okay… well, we have an hour. Let's go to the hangars and meet the Colonel early. Sound good?" Attilius commanded.

"What about something to eat first, Captain? I think we could all use a little meal," asked Henderson.

"Big lug. Always thinking of your stomach," retorted Taylor.

"Hey. The 'big lug' is right. We could all use something to eat," replied Svensky.

"Then let's head to the mess hall before we go to the hangar," said Attilius. Viper Company looked at him as if he had lobsters coming out of his ears. "What the hell are you lot looking at me for?"

"Well, we didn't expect you to comply," said Potter. The panther then spoke up.

"I guess we expected you to be more 'business as usual,' Bowman," she stated.

"I find it easier to work with a team rather than control them. That's the Colonel's job. If any of you have a problem, I'm all ears," said Attilius. _I think I'm going to like these guys._

Viper Company was silent, obviously holding Attilius' words in full regard. "Good. Let's go eat, then."

* * *

Everyone had their meals and conversed more about themselves. The only people to keep quiet were Attilius and Anya Quinn. The lupine looked at his she-wolf team member, making the assumption that she perhaps didn't like talking about her past as much as the rest of Viper Company. It was either that or shyness is always on her mind. Attilius looked at the she-wolf when everyone was quiet, finally speaking.

"You know, we're a team. You should speak out some more," he said. _I already forgot how her voice sounded like…_

"I don't need to, Bowman. I'm just… happy to be here, I guess," she said silently. She began spooning some more food into her mouth as she spoke. Attilius smiled as she did.

"If we're all going to work as a team, we need to act like one. Communication is one of the most important gifts bestowed upon us," he shot a wink at Anya. "I suggest we start using it."

The tales of Attilius' charisma was indeed legendary among the Operatives. The company smiled at their new leader and complied with his words. The company of seven had their meals and started walking to the hangar. _Time: 1030 hours. I hope the Colonel isn't pissed at our timely arrival._

When the company arrived at the hangars, the Colonel was already there discussing matters with a dog pilot.

"Captain Grey, this is Viper Company. You'll be assisting them in the fray," said the Colonel, pointing toward Attilius' company.

Everyone, including Attilius, stood at attention and saluted both the Colonel and the dog pilot. The dog came up to the lupine, holding his hand out and smiling. "I don't do formalities."

Attilius smiled back, grabbing his hand and shaking firmly. "Likewise. I'm Capt. Attilius Bowman. My men and I will be under your wings, I guess."

"Captain Bill Grey. I'm sure we'll get well-acquainted in the battle. You're the unlucky ones, being on the ground," he said.

"All right, ladies, you've met. It's time to suit up. Viper, your gear is in the transport." The Colonel pointed to a Cornerian frigate-class shipwith the name _Warhammer_ painted on the side and the dull Cornerian blue color was replaced with a vibrant cherry-red color on various parts of the ship. However, the blue Cornerian logo was still seen next to the name of the ship. It was a normal frigate except for the inside modifications to house the Company for long periods of time and stealthily make it through enemy barriers.

"She's a beauty," responded Attilius. "And who's her captain, sir?"

"He's inside, making preparations. His name is Captain John Parrish. Remember, every Operative Company has the Air Force working for them in missions. The _Warhammer_ specifically tends to Viper Company's orders, such as the _Spear_ tends to Sigma Company and the _Instigator _tends to Foxtrot Company. So on and so forth," explained the Colonel.

The seven members of Viper Company entered the ship from behind via the vehicle depot. Frigates were never able to house Arwings or Landmasters, so the vehicle depot consisted mainly of battle-hardened robots and speeder bikes. The large door behind the Company shut and locked itself in place, only compelling Viper to venture forth.

"This depot has all the toys," said Henderson. His eyes gleamed at the drones in that carried missiles and Gatling guns.

"Huh… Sentry bots. We could use some of those for scouting," replied Anya quietly. She smiled at the various drones and spy robots lining the walls.

"I could live here forever," said Winslow, taking great joy in looking at all the robots.

"Keep your creepy fetishes to yourself, Han," replied the mouthy Taylor.

"Hey, Taylor, let's keep the 'douche-level' to an all-time low, all right?" said Captain Bowman. _This guy is going to need some shaping up…_

Viper Company entered the doorway at the end of the depot (which was only a short walk) and was greeted by a short, roomy hallway and about ten Cornerian soldiers on both sides of the hall, all in a salute. At the end of the hallway was a well-decorated grey hare wearing a light-green commanding officer's garb in front of an open door, giving the company a salute.

"Captain Bowman. I trust you like the _Warhammer?_" the hare asked.

Viper Company saluted, even Attilius. "Captain Parrish, sir! We find our accommodations more than acceptable," he said humbly.

"Good. This hall houses the infirmary to the port side and the armory to the starboard. The halls behind me lead to your individual sleeping quarters nearest to the bridge along with my personal quarters, as well. You'll also find the mess hall, galley, lounge, and exercise room in this area of the ship. Further down, near your quarters, is the bridge, war room, communications, and navigation, to which I believe we'll be spending a lot of our time in those areas. Is this acceptable?" Explained the _Warhammer_'s captain.

"Aye, sir!" replied Viper Company in unison.

_Strictly business and prefers formal names. All right… I can deal with this,_ thought Attilius.

The crew and Company diverged to their own rooms and duties. Attilius found his room, which was across from Captain Parrish's quarters and next to Anya Quinn's cubicle. She was just about to enter the room when Attilius smiled at her, causing her to blush and smile back.

"Cozy, huh?" Bowman asked. Quinn nodded.

"Yeah, it's nice… I've never actually been on a ship before," she said.

Attilius leaned against his door, not even opening it. "I have. Corneria isn't my birthplace, you know," he said.

Anya rose an eyebrow. "Oh, really now?"

Attilius closed his eyes and nodded, opening them back up and looking at her. She also leaned against her door. "I was born on Katina. The planet is fairly dry, arid, and boring. I left Katina to join up with the Operatives."

"Was your father an Operative? Mother?"

He shook his head. "Nope. They are both dead. Well… my mother is dead. She died not too long ago, of cancer. My father… I don't actually know where he is, much less the status of his life."

Anya paused, looking down. "I'm sorry… I know what it's like to lose a parent… Both of mine are dead."

_That's one common thing about us… we have no family, _he thought

"My condolences, Anya… Were you close?"

She paused, nearly sniffling. She managed to look up and clear her throat, cracking a slight smile. "Yes. Very."

Attilius walked toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We are your family, Anya. Viper Company will take care of you. I'll make sure of it."

"Th-thank you… Attilius," she said, smiling. She looked deep in his light-blue eyes, almost blushing.

"Just call me Attie if you're going to use my first name. All my friends do it," he said. He let go of her shoulders and went back to his room, opening the door and entering. Attilius figured the she-wolf did the same, so he just closed the doors behind him. The bright white lights of the room made every nook and cranny visible.

"INCOMING MESSAGE FROM CAPTAIN PARRISH," said a computerized voice. Now that the room has been lit, he could receive and send messages, use the appliances (like the shower and the long-range broadcast television), and set the door controls. He decided to lock the door and speak up in the room.

"Play message," he said. A hologram of Captain Parrish appeared at the center of his room. Attilius saluted the Captain. "Sir!"

"Captain Bowman, at ease. I trust you find everything all right? We are about to take off. The G-diffuser systems should allow us to walk even when the _Warhammer_ is in the air. The ship's AI is named Darwin, by the way," explained the polite captain.

"Thank you, sir."

"One more thing: I will have no fights on my ship, Captain Bowman. None of my men or yours are to be harmed at any costs, especially by an ally. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir. You don't have to worry about all that. I'll keep in civilized," Attilius said. _Fights? I don't think a fight is in order. Except maybe to put Taylor in line once in a while._

"Indeed you will. Parrish out," he said. With that, the transmission ended. Attilius looked around his room and placed his duffel bag with personal mementos and a pack of cigarettes on the bed. He unpacked it, placed a picture of his mother on the bedside table, and a silver necklace with a square-shaped finely-cut bright green emerald dangling. He placed his fingers over the piece of jewelry.

"Jenn… you're in a better place now," muttered Attilius. He sniffled once and placed the necklace near the picture of his mother. He stood up, only to hear an intercom voice.

"Attention crew. The _Warhammer _made her way out of planet Corneria. ETA to Fichina airspace: six hours."

Attilius thought this was the perfect moment to take a hot shower. It was also the last place he had a smoke. He'd been looking forward to one, even though he already took one over in Charlie's place. The lupine stripped himself of his ceremonial formal wear and placed it neatly in the closet. He looked through his drawer and noticed various colored muscle shirts, t-shirts, and hoodies along with some pairs of grey-camo pants and different shaded jeans. He obtained a pair of grey-camo pants, a muscle shirt, and a pair of boxers. He also noticed some thick black socks and black, brown, and dark green military boots. The lupine also noticed some white and grey sneakers in the closet.

_Swell. These are some good clothes, _he thought.

The captain entered the hot shower, steaming up his bathroom as he lathered and rinsed his fur. The shower felt amazing against his fur and skin, allowing the wolf to clear his mind and relax for a little bit. It was nice to get a few hours of down time before heading to a bitterly cold planet. He exited the shower after a nice rinse, drying himself off and donning the clothes be brought in. He also chose to wear some black combat boots, getting ready for his mission beforehand. When he dressed, he sat on his bed, thinking for a few moments.

"Darwin, respond," said Attilius clearly. The blue lines along the upper most part of the walls in his room began to light up brightly.

"HELLO, CAPTAIN BOWMAN. HOW MAY I SERVE YOU?" said the robotic voice.

"Start a conversation between a few people. Secure the channel, too," Attilius commanded.

"AND WHO SHOULD I BE CALLING, SIR?"

"Anya Quinn, Rick Henderson, Hannah Winslow, Jacob Svensky, Isaiah Potter, and Frank Taylor," he listed.

After a few moments, Anya picked up first.

"Attie?" she asked. "What's up?"

Right as she asked that, Frank answered his call. "Hey, Captain. Quinn," he said dull-like.

"Taylor," she said, nodding.

Henderson answered the call, followed by Potter.

"Hey there, Bowman!" said the boar.

"Hey, Cap," said Potter.

Attilius greeted his comrades as well. Hannah Winslow then finally answered her call, followed by Svensky.

"Hey, Captain Bowman. You called?" asked the panther.

"What do you need, Bowman?" asked Svensky.

"Everyone, we have five hours to kill. Let's head to the lounge and see what's there to do," he proposed. Everyone agreed almost in unison and the call was ended. _All right, let's see if I can bond with my team._

* * *

The lounge was pretty big, enough to maybe hold thirty people at a time. A few off-duty soldiers and other crewmen were lifting weights and running on treadmills over in the far corner of the room. Many coffee machines were lined up on a counter, along with copious amounts of coffee, sugar, and miniature cream packets. TV screens with gaming systems were also linked up in a row, numbering only two. It was apparent that the crewmen didn't adhere to video gaming, as the systems were nearly untouched.

However, the TVs had a broadcast to the Cornerian World News, which reported on the various happenings planetwide. Even the commercials of Cornerian TV gave the folks of the _Warhammer_ a sense of home. In the center of the room were two pool tables and two ping pong tables, one of the ping pong tables was already being occupied by a pair of crewmen on their leisure time.

"Anyone want some coffee?" offered Attilius. Each coffee machine held about twelve cups of coffee, so Attilius thought it was fair to also ask the crewmen.

"Sure, we'll take some," said the two men.

"Yeah, sounds good," said Taylor.

"I'm not a coffee girl," said Winslow. "Just give me a beer, I'll be good."

"I find it a bad omen to be drinking alcohol before a mission," said Henderson. "I've seen some shit go down because someone was tipsy."

"Fuck you. I want to drink a beer now, I'll drink a beer now," snapped Winslow. Henderson put his hands up in the air.

"Down, kitty," he said.

"If you two are done with your bitching, I'd be a happy wolf," said Attilius. The two then sighed and looked away. "Winslow, it's best not to drink before a mission. Afterwards, when we all get out, we can celebrate here."

Winslow then nodded, shrugging. "I guess you're right, Captain."

"You guys are unlucky," called one of the crewmen.

"And why is that? Because we're going to a planet with a clusterfuck of ice and snow?" said Potter. He punched the air in a victory thrust. "Let me have it!"

Attilius admired Potter's enthusiasm. "Potter, keep your vigilance. Fichina isn't a planet to take lightly," he said.

The crewmen both nodded, the other one finally speaking. "We don't envy you… but Operative Companies get a lot of respect around here. We'll keep good eyes on you."

Attilius nodded. "Good. Glad to have _Warhammer_ on our side."

The machine near him beeped and the pot was full of a black liquid. He poured a bunch of cups, having everyone who wanted the coffee to get their cup and add stuff. Attilius had his coffee the way he liked it; black with lots of sugar. He sat on a chair and opened the vent above and below his chair, turning on the silent vacuum.

Anya sat beside him, looking over as the lupine pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. He took one, placed it in his mouth and lit it, puffing a cloud of grey smoke. Taylor walked to him with the cup of coffee in his hand.

"You know… that's a bad habit. As a health nut, I can verify that the habit will slowly kill you," said the sarcastic fox. He held out his hand. "I'll take one, please."

Attilius smiled as his cigarette was still in his mouth. He puffed another cloud of smoke, handing Taylor a cigarette and his lighter. "Thanks, Cap," he said.

Isaiah Potter sat next to Anya, opening his vents too. He got a cigarette from his

The captain looked over at Anya, who was silently drinking her dark brown liquid. He figured she added a couple dollops of cream inside. He stuck out an unlit cigarette from his pack and pointed it to Anya. "You want one?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't really smoke. Never tried it. The smell… kind of gets me sick," she said innocently. She was glad that he opened the vents near his seat, however.

"We've all been there, Quinn," said Henderson. He took his own pack of cigarettes from his vest pocket and lit one, placing it in his mouth. Before he could puff a smoke, Winslow took the cigarette from his mouth and inhaled it.

Everyone, including Attilius and the crewmen, let out some laughter at Henderson's dumbstruck face.

"Ha fucking ha," he said dully with a smile. He got another stick from his pack and began smoking it again.

Nevertheless, Anya still took the cigarette, holding it in her hands and unsure of what to do with it. Taylor tossed the lighter back to Attilius, prompting him to quickly catch it. "Go on. Put it in your mouth," said Henderson to Anya.

She scowled at Rick, but smiled in amusement. Anya innocently placed the cigarette between her lips. Attilius flicked open his lighter and lit her cigarette. She inhaled slowly, keeping the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds before violently coughing it all out. She still kept the cigarette in her hand even after the fact.

Everyone burst into laughter. Even Attilius threw his head up and made fun of her reaction. She was holding her chest, coughing out the remaining smoke from her lungs. She finally was able to speak, only letting one little phrase come out.

"F-fuck you, guys," she muttered. Attilius patted her back, trying to get all the remnants of the smoke out.

"It's all right. You can give the cancer-stick back to me, if you want," Attilius said. She looked over at him, with a look of confidence, and took another drag, this time expelling the smoke quicker than before. She felt her muscles relax as the smoke left her system, sighing.

"I never thought I'd do this… and enjoy it," she said softly. Attilius smiled, put out his cigarette in an ash tray, and exhaled one more puff of smoke.

"First time for everything," he said coolly.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_**How did you like this one? Please leave a review! Don't worry, the action is definitely going to come in the later chapters, don't you worry. Please continue to be awesome!**


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